01/08/2005
NEWS STORY
Fourteen Formula One drivers, including Michael Schumacher, Mark Webber, David Coulthard and Jarno Trulli, will meet with FIA President Max Mosley in Cannes today, in an attempt to patch up a row that developed in the wake of the Indianapolis fiasco, and to ease drivers' concerns over safety issue, particularly at test sessions.
Members of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association were due to meet with Mosley at Silverstone on the Friday of the British Grand Prix, however, the Englishman cancelled the meeting in light of comments made to the British media by David Coulthard, which appeared to suggest that there was a hidden agenda and that the meeting might be hi-jacked at a time when their was growing unease between the FIA, the drivers, teams and manufacturers.
The drivers' subsequently submitted a letter claiming that Mosley's decision to cancel the meeting suggested that he did not share their concerns regarding safety.
Consequently, Mosley rescheduled the meeting for today (Monday 1 August), the day after the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Several drivers, most notably McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya are unable to attend the meeting as they had already scheduled holidays. Renault drivers, Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella will also be absent as will the BAR drivers, Jenson Button and Takuma Sato, who are on promotional trip to China.